Just barely catching the train!

I can’t imagine hearing two worse words when you are in a rush than “doors closing” and you are not on the train or bus when the doors actually do close. It rarely ever happens when you have time to spare, which means that it ALWAYS happens when you need to get somewhere. If you are like me and have a train/bus tracker app, you know it is usually dependable. But if it is one minute off and you are one minute late, you will have to wait.

I’m pretty sure I am not the only one out there that has turned into an incredible athlete if they hear a train coming or see a bus at the stop getting ready to pull off. Even the laziest and most non-committal to the gym will all of a sudden look like Usain Bolt. And that’s IN high heels, hard bottom dress shoes and probably a laptop case and a cup of coffee too! But just as there is nothing more frustrating than just missing the train or bus, there is nothing more gratifying than sliding in right as the door is ready to close on the train. It’s a bit easier in the bus’ case, but then again it’s really at the discretion of the bus driver. If they don’t want to stop, then they are gone.

There was one time that I did see a bus driver genuinely do the great thing. Taking the 145 or 146 downtown, getting ready to merge onto Lake Shore Drive, there was an old lady who wanted to get on the bus but clearly wasn’t going to be able to run. The bus driver, instead of driving off and leaving her, drove up to right where she was in the middle of the street, stopped, and opened the door. I thought that was real decent of him.

As for me, the 23-year old. Don’t let me be the one waiting across the street, or else it’s 8 minutes until the next bus, according to bus tracker at least.